We’re finally all caught up with getting bigger versions of the pictures of mine from Disneyland last week up in their respective image galleries! We’ve got over 40 from California Adventure, about 10 from Disneyland Park, & the latest maps & more in the Disneyland Resort!
All of us here at WDW News Today were over-joyed to discover that we were recently mentioned and linked to by the Los Angeles Times pertaining to Toy Story Mania. The article also features the very first review of the attraction, even though it is a review of the California Adventure version rather than the Walt Disney World version that will debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in May. You can read the LA Times review and check out our link by going HERE.
Disney Imagineers allowed me to “play test” the new Toy Story Mania dark ride coming to California Adventure in June. From the preview I got, it’s clear the theme park giant has raised the bar again with this latest interactive attraction. (Play the online version of the game.)
Inside an unmarked, low-slung brick warehouse in Glendale dubbed the Walt Disney Imagineering Concept Lab, I climbed aboard a plywood and 2-by-4 mock-up of the Toy Story Mania ride vehicle quite literally held together in some places by electrical tape.
The stripped-down surroundings and slap-dash ride vehicle belied the technological wonders I was about to behold.
While Disney struggles to call Toy Story Mania more than a ride-through 3-D video game, it is just that and then some.
Poised behind a spring-action shooter, I fired virtual ammunition at virtual targets in an immersive environment unlike any other I’ve experienced — including Disneyland’s Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, which the new ride is often compared to.
Capable of firing up to six rounds per second, the spring-action shooter is nothing more than a rope with a bob tied on the end that works like a slack pinball machine plunger. (Here’s the Wikipedia explanation of this arcane entertainment device for the Wii generation.)
The ride starts with a practice round hosted by “Toy Story” characters Woody and Jessie before moving through five scenes that become increasingly difficult. The two-stage lightning round finale, the easiest of all the games, is where players rack up a majority of their points.
To call me competitive is to call Napoleon short.
My initial strategy of focusing only on high-point targets proved only partially correct. Another key to success in the target-rich environment was continuous firing. I discovered with my unlimited ammo supply that I could rack up plenty of unintended points while moving from one bull’s-eye to the next.
I found most of the high-value targets at the top and bottom of the 10-foot-square video screen in front of me. The most difficult prizes requiring the greatest accuracy resided in the top corners. In several instances, hitting one target triggered another of higher value. In other cases, taking out a group of identical targets generated substantial bonus points. Low-value, special effects-laden spoilers served only to distract me from my mission.
On my first attempt, I finished with 102,000 points to 112,000 points by new friend (and mortal enemy) Arthur Levine, who writes the well-regarded About.com theme park guide.
In my utter humiliation, I turned to Toy Story Mania chief Imagineer Chrissie Allen for assistance in finding the much-rumored “Easter Egg” targets within the game. She refused to budge (though I am determined to break her and reveal said secrets in future posts).
Kind and wise Imagineer Estefania Pickens, holder of the current in-house high score (210,000) among Disney staffers, offered to mentor me and guide my training. Her patient tutelage soon paid off.
On my second and final attempt at the game, I scored 125,000 points, besting my Disney host (who will remain nameless to avoid bringing shame on him, his family and his future generations).
The only downside to my new favorite ride is the repetitive stress injury I’m sure to suffer from repeatedly playing the game.
Toy Story Mania seems to be just the E-ticket that Disney’s California Adventure needs to draw bigger crowds. Expect a long line.
Check out WDW News Today for MSNBC video that features the Toy Story Mania ride vehicles in motion.
— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Here is an article from the Disney Insider on the 2008 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival beginning tomorrow:
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to enter a lush garden aflutter with hundreds of butterfly wings? Or how about escaping into a serene water garden? These are just some of the adventures awaiting Guests at the Epcot International Annual Flower and Garden Festival. Celebrating its fifteenth year, the flourish-filled fest has extended its run to 75 days, from March 19 to June 1, offering a magical journey into the world of gardening. Guests are greeted by a 14-foot topiary of Goofy riding the waves at the Epcot’s front gate while Mickey and Minnie relax beachside in a nod to this year’s theme, “Fun in the Sun.” More Disney Characters will be blooming than ever before, along with specialty gardens geared toward food lovers, English tea aficionados, and even those with not-so-green thumbs.
The festival’s most popular event is Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden, where Guests can surround themselves with 500 American butterflies in a 1,400-square-foot enclosed house. With a little patience, you can observe an amazing metamorphosis as the chrysalis opens and a butterfly emerges, gently pumping newborn wings for its first attempt at flight. But there’s more to observe here than just the obvious beauty. Eric Darden, Horticulture Manager for Epcot and the Food and Garden Festival, explains that, “Telling the story of our native butterflies informs our Guests while promoting butterfly-friendly gardening.”
In addition, the festival features numerous activities that focus on green issues. Xeriscapes, a brand-new exhibit, provides an eco-conscious choice for the horticulturally challenged. Taking the country’s recent droughts into account, Eric states, “we are asking Guests to consider the environmental impact when they go home.” This easy-to-care-for garden is packed with plants requiring minimal water aside from natural precipitation, illustrating a worry-free option for the water conscious.
Advanced gardeners looking to unearth some new tips and tricks will enjoy the ongoing lecture series featuring the man in red suspenders himself, Roger Swain, longtime host of PBS’s “The Victory Garden,” along with many of the country’s top horticulturalists. Although Disney might be the “House of Mouse,” 2008’s Year of the Rat is the perfect time to explore the Chinese zodiac at the festival’s Topiary Chinese Zodiac Garden.
There’s plenty to do with little ones in tow. Every year the festival adds more activities the entire family can enjoy. For boys who don’t want to grow up, Peter Pan’s Never Land Garden is a great place to explore, with Captain Hook and Peter Pan topiaries whisking them away to a make-believe world. Proving fun is for kids of all ages, the Flower Power Concert Series, features stars like Davy Jones, the Nelsons, and other memorable acts from decades past. Annual Passholders can unwind from the afternoon grind and get grooving to some of their favorite artists. Whether your thumb’s ever-green or you’re a gardening washout, Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival offers blooms, tunes, and something truly spectacular for every member of the family.
Disney’s California Adventure’s new Pixar Play Parade — or, as I’ve taken to calling it, Pixar Puddle Parade — is about as much fun as watching a parade in the rain. Actually, it’s exactly like watching a parade in the rain.Some people like to get wet at theme parks. I prefer to keep water where it belongs — in water parks. The mere sight of drenched people stepping off a white-water raft ride sends chills up and down my spine.
The new Pixar parade, which features characters from the animated movies, replaces the old Pixar parade, Block Party Bash, which — wait for it — featured characters from the animated movies.
The water theme of the new parade is immediately evident as “Cars” star Lightning McQueen leads the procession accompanied by a pair of women dressed as mops (no, sadly, I’m not kidding) who squirt the crowd with water bottles and sponge off the red roadster. The car wash gag is an apt metaphor because you are about to be put through a soaking fit for a Ford Mustang.
Before the first float had even passed, I’d been squirted in the eye twice and dried my face three times with my shirtsleeve. By the time the second float went by, I was suitably annoyed — as were others who were fleeing the parade route as if attacked by a swarm of bees. As the third float passed, I uttered words not appropriate for a family publication.
After the 12th and mercifully final squirting, spitting and splatting float rolled by, a mop brigade brought up the rear — a first for any parade I’ve ever seen. And an apt ending to a parade that, in my opinion, is all wet (sorry, it was unavoidable).
It’s a shame, really, because the Pixar Play Parade looks like an improvement over Block Party Bash, of which I was never a big fan. I loved the beautiful new floats, the must-see “Incredibles” hovercraft and the twirling acrobats.
But mostly I felt bad for the 100-odd performers in the show, from whom I shielded my eyes for fear they’d assault me with a water pistol or douse me with a fire hose. Sadly, it may take a tragic slip and fall by one of the 12-foot-tall stilt walkers to force the Disney lawyers to switch the H20 to bubbles.
— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
For a look at some of the displays that have already popped up at Epcot for the 2008 International Flower and Garden Festival, head on over to Mousesteps.com to see pictures taken by our good friend Denise. To see the complete pictorial update, go HERE.
From the Associted Press:
An off-duty Disney security guard has been released from jail after being charged with indecent exposure in public, battery and child abuse, authorities said. John Briegel, 43, was arrested on Wednesday and released the same day on $6,000 bond, the Orlando Sentinel reported Friday.
A woman flagged down a Groveland police officer and told him that a neighbor had just hit her 11-year-old son in the face, the newspaper reported. The boy said he was collecting money for his school’s fundraising campaign when he rang Briegel’s doorbell four or five times, the arrest affidavit said. The boy said Briegel answered the door naked, berated him for ringing the doorbell, then struck him on the side of the head with a closed fist.
Briegel admitted answering the door nude and yelling at the boy, but he said he kept his body hidden behind the door and denied hitting the boy, according to the affidavit. Zoraya Suarez, a spokeswoman for Disney, confirmed to the Sentinel that Briegel worked for the theme park’s security department and said that he had been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of his case.
A telephone message left for a Disney spokeswoman by The Associated Press was not immediately returned after hours Friday. There was no telephone number listed for Briegel and it was not immediately known if he had an attorney.
Rumors are beginning to circulate about the “Indy” name dropping from the Tomorrowland Speedway at the Magic Kingdom. While we cannot confirm this at this time, I did want to share a rumor I have been hearing about the location. Sources have been telling me that before Walt Disney World celebrates it’s 40th Anniversary in 2011, the attraction will undergo a huge refurbishment to add electric cars and new scenery. To quote our source:
“The idea behind this refurbishment would be to make our speedway similar to the Autopia attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland, while also including scenery that tells the story of our Tomorrowland.” (ex. Stitch, Wall-E, Buzz Lightyear, and Monsters Inc. character and theming references)
While this still may be a few years away from happening, keep your eyes peeled for details on any coming changes to Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. Tomorrow looks very promising.Â
Here are some details emerging on Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, opening soon:
-The vehicles for the attraction will be called “Toy Story Trams” and will be equipped with “Spring Action Shooters”.
-Each vehicle will feature the name and picture of a different Toy Story film character.
-The inside queue will reportedly carry on the theme of the real-life Pixar Studios.
-A new Pixar Studio Store will be located on Pixar Place, selling a lot of merchandise from the new attraction and other Disney-Pixar films.
While none of the previous notes are confirmed, they are all highly likely. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on Toy Story Mania becomes available.
The latest in the line of “living characters” at Walt Disney World (Such as Muppet Mobile Labs, Lucky the Dinosaur, and Mr. Potato Head) will be debuting soon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Rumors are swirling that a living character of Wall-E from the upcoming Disney-Pixar film of the same name will begin roaming the streets of Pixar Place within a few weeks. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more info becomes available on this story.
